A trio of purse-snatchers were arrested in Discovery after a joint operation by police, the Honeydew CPF, and Beagle Watch Security’s crime prevention unit on February 20.
The operation began when reports were sent out on the Panorama Residents Association’s emergency group of a woman who had been robbed of her handbag in Swarthaak Street, Weltevreden Park.
“We managed to get footage of the vehicle involved and passed the information on to Beagle Watch Security, who made use of their CCTV resources to, with the assistance of police, track it down near the BP garage in Conradie Street,” says Honeydew CPF’s public relations officer Michael Steyn.
“The vehicle was blocked in and the suspects were apprehended within less than two hours from the incident.”
Unfortunately, at the time of the arrest, one of the suspects — a man in a blue T-shirt — who can be seen on CCTV footage committing the robbery, was no longer in the vehicle. Luckily, the stolen purse was.
Police and security officers questioned the three occupants, and eventually managed to extract information from them regarding the identity and probable whereabouts of the suspect.
• Read the initial article here: Welties purse snatch gang nabbed
“We accompanied police and Beagle Watch officers to the identified house in Kilburn Street, Discovery, in search of the suspect,” says Steyn. “Upon arrival at the house, it was discovered that police had already been there earlier, and had confiscated items thought to have been stolen during a recent house robbery.
“The suspect, however, was no longer there.”
Police then questioned other occupants of the house, and managed to get another address from them where they thought the suspect may be.
“We rushed in convoy to the identified house in Michael Collins Street, Discovery, only to discover that the suspect was also not there. According to residents at this address, the suspect had been there earlier that evening, but had left, not saying where he was going.”
Steyn said it is just a matter of time before the suspect is apprehended.
“I was very proud to see what a formidable force we could be when the community, police, and local security companies collaborate in the fight against crime. We will continue our efforts to eradicate crime from our neighbourhoods, and we will continue to promote effective collaboration between communities, police, and private security companies.”
